Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the initiative was one of the ministry’s short-term intervention measures to address the rising price of coconut-based products, especially coconut milk.

He said the supply was distributed to the market by 42 Fama operation centres via 509 marketing outlets such as Agrobazaar Kedai Rakyat, Agrobazaar Rakyat, farmers’ markets and permanent farmers’ markets.

“Part of the supply was also distributed to 16 wholesalers and 202 coconut milk entrepreneurs nationwide.

“This measure will help stabilise prices and ensure a continuous supply for the coconut milk processing industry and other coconut-based products,” he said during minister’s question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Mohamad was responding to Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang), who asked about the ministry’s short-, medium-, and long-term plans to address the surge in price of coconut products due to a shortage of local coconut supply, rising import costs from Indonesia, and weather factors.

For medium-term intervention, Mohamad said the agriculture and food security ministry, through the agriculture department, was implementing the Coconut Industry Development Programme 2021-2025 under the 12th Malaysia Plan by providing incentives for farmers to boost local coconut production.

Efforts include replanting and new planting efforts by replacing mature or unproductive trees, as well as rehabilitating coconut farms to increase productivity.

“Farmers are also provided with agricultural input such as seedlings, fertilisers, pesticides, and basic farm infrastructure, including for land preparation and drainage, and small-scale farm equipment,” he said.

For long-term measures, Mohamad said the ministry encouraged farmers to cultivate high-yield coconut varieties such as Matag, Malayan Red Dwarf, Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Pandan coconuts.

“Between 2021 and 2024, RM15 million was allocated for the development of the coconut industry, involving 943 farmers with replanting or new planting across 1,890.7 hectares and coconut farm rehabilitation on 285 hectares.

“A total of 1.2 million high-yield coconut seedlings were produced to support the national coconut development project,” he said.

Mohamad also said the agriculture department was allocated RM3 million in 2024 under the coconut seed production enhancement project, producing 524,606 coconut seedlings through collaboration with government agencies, GLCs and the private sector.